Free Marriage by Mistake by Alyssa Kress

her was cool, collected, and quietly powerful. 'Her' Dean was definitely not looking out of this man's eyes. His gaze was as cold and remote as the North Pole.
    He nodded toward the empty dishes on the table. "I trust your breakfast was satisfactory?"
    Kelly cleared her throat. "Uh, yeah. It was great."
    "Good. You'll find lunch in this room as well, but dinner is in the dining room. We dress."
    "Oh, hey, I'm very glad to hear it."
    He shot her a sharp look. Kelly didn't know whether to be amused or insulted that it seemed to take him a full minute to realize she was joking. "Yes, well." He smoothed his tie. "In any event, I came to say goodbye, and to tell you that if you need anything, ask Maggie. She's the housekeeper."
    "Goodbye?" Kelly startled upright. "You're leaving?" But of course he was leaving. He was all dressed up in a suit and tie and there was a building in downtown Boston with his name at the top of it. She shook her head. "Sorry. I suppose you've got a million things to do."
    "Yes, well, perhaps not a million, but my presence is required."
    Kelly nodded, wondering why she felt let down. Surely she hadn't expected, or wanted, him to dance attendance on her.
    "So." Dean inclined his head. "If you'll excuse me?"
    Kelly bit her lower lip. Yes, he had to leave, but on the other hand, they needed to get the getting-to-know-him business out of the way. And there was one thing she very much wanted to know. "You have time for one question?"
    Dean halted his retreat in progress. Turning halfway around, he raised his eyebrows.
    "Uh...how did a nine-year-old boy manage to hypnotize you?"
    Dean went very still. "He told you."
    Kelly huffed. "What do you think we were discussing in the tree house, the weather? So, how did it happen?"
    Dean tapped a thumb against his thigh. "It was an accident, as I already explained to you."
    "An accident ?"
    Dean's thumb kept tapping. "Robby was doing a science project, to make up for missing school. I didn't want to discourage his initiative."
    "A science project," Kelly repeated. "You mean he just got this out of a book or something?"
    "Mm. And I was his 'test subject.' Nobody expected I would actually go under." His lashes lowered. "It just...happened."
    Kelly could only stare at him, more baffled than ever. Robby was just a kid, and a kid who'd only been fooling around, for heaven's sake.
    Dean waved a hand. "An accident."
    "Yes," Kelly said. "I believe you." It certainly hadn't happened on purpose. But how had it even happened by accident? Dean didn't seem like he'd easily fall under the influence of anything, much less a nine-year-old horsing around. If he'd fallen into a trance, a deep one, it could only have been because on some level, deep down...he'd wanted to.
    But why would he want that?
    Kelly frowned, trying to puzzle it out. Meanwhile, Dean took a step back. "About Robby," he said. "Since you bring up the subject."
    Kelly blinked.
    "You're only going to be here for two months." Dean's jaw tightened. "Leave him alone."
    The words were so unexpected that it took Kelly a moment to understand. Her eyes widened. "Excuse me?"
    Dean's gaze was cool. "You'll only hurt him."
    "Excuse me?" Kelly said again, louder.
    "You know you will." Dean said this as if it were a foregone conclusion. "Stepmothers— Anyway, you'll be gone in two months."
    "I will?" queried Kelly, and hastily changed her question to a statement. "Oh, yeah, you bet I will." She'd be gone in two months—or less. "But so what?"
    "So what?" He appeared nonplussed.
    "As if that has anything to do with—" Kelly rose to her feet. He'd accepted her two-month deal, only to inform her now that the outcome was predetermined. And he topped it off with this insult. "It would hurt Robby more if I ignored him." Indeed, how could she ignore that needy child?
    "No." Dean gave a sharp shake of the head. "With all due respect, I know more about this type of situation than you do."
    "You do." Oh, yeah, he was the big expert. His